City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Baltimore, MD (104.5) and New Haven, CT (104.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Baltimore, MD goes as far as $100,100 in New Haven, CT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $461 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.0% moving from Baltimore, MD to New Haven, CT ($121,785 → $125,431), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baltimore, MD | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,069 in New Haven | $99,931 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → New Haven, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$461/yr.
68 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Baltimore, MD
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$461/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | New Haven, CT | Real change, Baltimore → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $72,737 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $88,005 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $105,481 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $125,431 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $148,222 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $79,820 | $79,765 (+4.4%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $133,040 | $132,948 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $94,960 | $94,895 (+11.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $104,490 | $104,418 (+4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.